about

music by Ted Hearne and Philip White

"Listening to Ted Hearne and Philip White’s R We Who R We is a bit like attempting to force the beaters of an electric hand mixer through one’s nostrils and into the brain, then flipping the power on…and this is an unequivocally good thing. Using Top 40 hits like Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R” and Madonna’s “Material Girl” as a point of departure, vocal hellion Hearne and electronic conjurer White hook listeners with the familiar while hurtling through often confrontational and exceptionally potent sonic deconstructions. Other than the lyric content, almost nothing remains of the source material, offering not pop-tune covers but compositional reinventions.

Hearne, who honed his classical chops at the Manhattan and Yale Schools of Music, drags his vocal cords through their paces. “Hi Is My Name” revs up Eminem’s ubiquitous flow to breakneck speed, tearing through syllables and forcing the listener to play catch-up. On “Original Self,” an original track, it’s as if the Chicago native is attempting to argue with Auto-Tune, railing against its magnetism as he wails atop a chorus of dental drills. Hearne’s inventive reimaginings of the lyrics draw you in, while White’s self-described “non-linear feedback system” similarly cloaks the deliberately provocative sound world of noise music in the shiny bluster of pop production. The result is something eminently, if weirdly, danceable and utterly gripping."
-Time Out Chicago, Feb 7, 2013

credits

released 27 February 2013

produced by R WE WHO R WE
engineered by Philip White
recorded at 691 Studios, Harvestworks, and High Concept Laboratories

contact / help

(Dude, can I get your autograph?)
Ahem.. excuse me!
All my life I was very deprived
Am I coming or going? I can barely decide
And by the way when you see my dad? (Yeah?)
And Dr. Dre said, "Slim Shady you a basehead!"
And smacked her so hard I knocked her clothes backwards like Kris Kross
And stapled his nuts to a stack of papers (Owwwwwwww!)
And try to touch your hands like some screaming Usher fans (Aaahhhhhh!)
But I can't figure out which Spice Girl I want to impregnate (Ummmm..)
Can I have the attention of the class for one second?
Cause I hung my original self from the top bunk with a belt
Clothes ripped like the Incredible Hulk (hachhh-too)
C'mere slut! (Shady, wait a minute, that's my girl dog!)
Dr. Dre, don't just stand there, OPERATE!
Extraterrestrial, running over pedestrians
Faster than a fat bitch who sat down too fast
Flashed the bartender, then stuck my dick in the tip cup
Got pissed off and ripped Pamela Lee's tits off
Hi kids! Do you like violence? (Yeah yeah yeah!)
HOW YOU GONNA BREAST FEED ME MOM? (WAH!)
I ain't had a woman in years, and my palms are too hairy to hide (Whoops!)
I don't give a fuck, God sent me to piss the world off!
I just drank a fifth of vodka -- dare me to drive? (Go ahead)
I just found out my mom does more dope than I do (Damn!)
I lay awake and strap myself in the bed
I smacked him in his face with an eraser, chased him with a stapler
I smoke a fat pound of grass and fall on my ass
I spit when I talk, I'll fuck anything that walks (C'mere)
I told her I'd grow up to be a famous rapper
I'll have to be carried inside the cemetery and buried alive (Huh yup!)
I'm not ready to leave, it's too scary to die (Fuck that!)
I'm steaming mad (Arrrggghhh!)
In a space ship while they screaming at me: "LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS!"
Make a record about doing drugs and name it after her (Oh thank you!)
My brain's dead weight, I'm trying to get my head straight
My English teacher wanted to flunk me in Junior High
Ninety-nine percent of my life I was lied to
Put a bulletproof vest on and shoot myself in the head (BANG!)
So I signed it: 'Dear Dave, thanks for the support, ASSHOLE!'
Stop the tape! This kid needs to be locked away! (Get him!)
Tell him that I slit his throat, in this dream I had
Thanks a lot, next semester I'll be 35
This guy at White Castle asked for my autograph
Try 'cid and get fucked up worse that my life is? (Huh?)
Uh-uhhh! "So why's your face red? Man you wasted!"
Walked in the strip club, had my jacket zipped up
Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did? (Yeah yeah!)
Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids? (Uh-huh!)
Well since age twelve, I've felt like I'm someone else
When I was little I used to get so hungry I would throw fits
YOU AIN'T GOT NO TITS! (WAHHH!)
You know you blew up when the women rush your stands

You know you blew up when the women rush your stands
YOU AIN'T GOT NO TITS! (WAHHH!)
When I was little I used to get so hungry I would throw fits
Well since age twelve, I've felt like I'm someone else
Wanna see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids? (Uh-huh!)
Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did? (Yeah yeah!)
Walked in the strip club, had my jacket zipped up
Uh-uhhh! "So why's your face red? Man you wasted!"
Try 'cid and get fucked up worse that my life is? (Huh?)
This guy at White Castle asked for my autograph
Thanks a lot, next semester I'll be 35
Tell him that I slit his throat, in this dream I had
Stop the tape! This kid needs to be locked away! (Get him!)
So I signed it: 'Dear Dave, thanks for the support, ASSHOLE!'
Put a bulletproof vest on and shoot myself in the head (BANG!)
Ninety-nine percent of my life I was lied to
My English teacher wanted to flunk me in Junior High
My brain's dead weight, I'm trying to get my head straight
Make a record about doing drugs and name it after her (Oh thank you!)
In a space ship while they screaming at me: "LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS!"
I'm steaming mad (Arrrggghhh!)
I'm not ready to leave, it's too scary to die (Fuck that!)
I'll have to be carried inside the cemetery and buried alive (Huh yup!)
I told her I'd grow up to be a famous rapper
I spit when I talk, I'll fuck anything that walks (C'mere)
I smoke a fat pound of grass and fall on my ass
I smacked him in his face with an eraser, chased him with a stapler
I lay awake and strap myself in the bed
I just found out my mom does more dope than I do (Damn!)
I just drank a fifth of vodka -- dare me to drive? (Go ahead)
I don't give a fuck, God sent me to piss the world off!
I ain't had a woman in years, and my palms are too hairy to hide (Whoops!)
HOW YOU GONNA BREAST FEED ME MOM? (WAH!)
Hi kids! Do you like violence? (Yeah yeah yeah!)
Got pissed off and ripped Pamela Lee's tits off
Flashed the bartender, then stuck my dick in the tip cup
Faster than a fat bitch who sat down too fast
Extraterrestrial, running over pedestrians
Dr. Dre, don't just stand there, OPERATE!
C'mere slut! (Shady, wait a minute, that's my girl dog!)
Clothes ripped like the Incredible Hulk (hachhh-too)
Cause I hung my original self from the top bunk with a belt
Can I have the attention of the class for one second?
But I can't figure out which Spice Girl I want to impregnate (Ummmm..)
And try to touch your hands like some screaming Usher fans (Aaahhhhhh!)
And stapled his nuts to a stack of papers (Owwwwwwww!)
And smacked her so hard I knocked her clothes backwards like Kris Kross
And Dr. Dre said, "Slim Shady you a basehead!"
And by the way when you see my dad? (Yeah?)
Am I coming or going? I can barely decide
All my life I was very deprived
Ahem.. excuse me!
(Dude, can I get your autograph?)

Track Name: The Weight

my brain's dead weight
i lay awake
and strap myself in bed

Track Name: Original Self

and i hung my original self from the top bunk with a belt

Track Name: R WE WHO R WE

And hot.

One of us if you're '-er-ous
if danger the hipst-uz we make 'thus
then roll with our hot we 'gin love
-sters fall of and yes enough pants on this town
we runnin' we duz'
we course you don't and no a club
just like sus on got Je- with us
wanna mess 'luz
Got luz - a-luce, my neck-a

Let's go! ar-ar-ar- ing har
The world just like ar-ard our-our-our-our
Is our in' it we're tear- our-ours ar-ar-ar a-par-
We're sup-you know ar-art
Who we are we 'per-stars -cin'

Like we're dan- are dum-dum-dum
We're dum -dies go our bo- dum-dumb num-num-num
In num for ev- we'll be num-numb young young young ver- young
We're sup - you know - young young
Who we are we 'per starts

J.D. are damn time it's about it up
(ay) Turn sick of being I'm so it up
To live my brain it's makin' ri-ous
So seee- just I'm ri-ous de-li-
You about I'm tellin' 'kin' truth
'Ust talk our clothes, we're sellin' we do
The shit it dowwwwn (rrrs)
Dressin' in carrrs
Sleepin' hard got
On dudes hittin'

Let's go! ar-ar-ar- ing har
The world just like ar-ard our-our-our-our
Is our in' it we're tear- our-ours ar-ar-ar a-par-
We're sup-you know ar-art
Who we are we 'per-stars -cin'

Like we're dan- are dum-dum-dum
We're dum -dies go our bo- dum-dumb num-num-num
In num for ev- we'll be num-numb young young young ver- young
We're sup - you know - young young
Who we are we 'per starts

J.D. are up up up up it up i-turn it
J.D. are up up up up it up i-turn it
J.D. are up up up up it up i-turn it
J.D. are up up up up it up i-turn it

The world just like ar-ard our-our-our-our
Is our in' it we're tear- our-ours ar-ar-ar a-par-
We're sup-you know ar-art
Who we are we 'per-stars -cin'

Like we're dan- are dum-dum-dum
We're dum -dies go our bo- dum-dumb num-num-num
In num for ev- we'll be num-numb young young young ver- young
We're sup - you know - young young
Who we are we 'per starts
Ow!